users were entirely at my service, "though," said he, who was a
short man, running his eyes over my tall figure with a grin, "I fear my
clothes will not allow you to take very much exercise."

I drank a glass of hot whisky and water at the cabin table, and,
observing that Grace looked pale and weary, I asked Mrs. Barstow to
induce her to go to bed. The darling seemed reluctant to leave me.
She looked about her in a sort of child-like, shrinking way, and
whispered that she wished to sit with me.

"I am not sleepy, dearest," said she; "why cannot we sit alone together
in this saloon, as we did in the cabin of the little _Spitfire_? You
shall sleep first, and then I will put my head upon your shoulder. It
is but for one night, Herbert. We are sure to meet a ship going home
to-morrow."

Assuredly would it have given me the most exquisite happiness to sit
alone with her, as she wished, pillowing her fair head, and watching
her as she slept; but it was not to be thought of, for reasons much too
obvious to need reciting, and presently she went with Mrs. Barstow to
that lady's cabin, turning to look at me ere the door closed upon her.

I had my pipe and a pouch of tobacco in my pocket, and thought I would
go on deck for half-an-hour before retiring to bed. As I passed the
table on my way to the companion ladder, Mr. Higginson rose from a book
he had been reading, and detained me by putting his hand upon my arm.

"I have been thinking over the matter of marriage at sea, Mr. Barclay,"
he exclaimed, with a wary look round, to make sure that nobody was
listening. "I wish we had a copy of the Merchants' Shipping Act for
1854, for I believe there is a section which provides that every master
of a ship carrying an official log-book, shall enter in it every
marriage that takes place on board, together with the names and ages of
the parties. And I fancy there is another section which provides that
every master of every foreign-going ship shall sign and deliver to some
mercantile marine authority, a list containing, amongst other things, a
statement of every marriage which takes place on board. There is also
an Act called, if my memory serves me, the Confirmation of Marriage on
her Majesty's Ships' Act. But this, I presume, does not concern what
may happen in merchant vessels. I should like to read up Hammick on
the Marriage Laws of England. One thing, however, is clear: marriage
at sea is contemplated by the Merchant Ship